NEW YORK, (Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2025) The United Nations has called for the reopening of all crossings into the Gaza Strip to enable a significant scale-up in humanitarian aid delivery and to begin improving the dire humanitarian situation on the ground.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed the readiness of UN humanitarian teams and their partners for this crucial moment, stressing the urgent need for sufficient access to deliver the large quantities of aid required.
He said the humanitarian community cannot provide assistance at the necessary scale without the involvement of international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), revealing that Israeli authorities are currently not issuing visas to several international NGOs and are denying permission for many to send supplies into Gaza. Despite this, humanitarian teams inside Gaza continue to make the most of the opportunities provided by the ceasefire.
Dujarric cited examples, noting that on Tuesday alone, 21 UN partners on the ground distributed about 960,000 meals through 175 community kitchens, while UN-supported bakeries produced over 100,000 loaves of bread weighing two kilograms each. UNICEF distributed more than one million baby diapers, and the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered three truckloads of surgical and medical supplies from its warehouses in Deir al-Balah to the central pharmacy in Gaza City.
He added that WHO has deployed an international emergency medical team to enhance orthopaedic surgery and trauma care in Gaza, established two new operating rooms, and is planning to add 120 additional inpatient beds at Al-Shifa Hospital to expand its capacity.
Dujarric also announced that UN teams completed the clearance of main roads leading to the Erez and Zikim crossings in northern Gaza in preparation for their potential reopening, which would allow direct delivery of aid to the most affected northern areas. Other teams are currently assessing the Salah al-Din road, which has been unused for months.
He underlined that the Primary humanitarian needs of people in Gaza remain “access to water, along with food, shelter, and debris removal.”
